My Top 5 Books Everyone Should Read To Advance In Life More Effectively

May 22, 2019 Damian King

In this post, I list my top 5 books that everyone should read in order to advance in life more effectively. Reading these books is an investment of your time and will help minimise the mistakes we often make in our iives.

My Top 5 Books Everyone Should Read

48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene

Yes, it’s long! I would certainly recommended that you buy the audible version if you aren’t not a prolific reader. This book teaches you to position yourself in social situations, learn how to persuade people to come round to your way of thinking, utilise the power of being able to leverage people in the workplace and learn how to sometimes lose in order to actually win in life endeavours.

Ego is the Enemy - Ryan Holiday

Simply put, this book gives a broad insight into how your ego can hold you back from taking action and pursuing your goals in life. Ryan explains how some of the most egotistical people firmly believe they don’t have an ego at all. But, that in itself can be your ego talking. Confused? Don’t be! I can’t even begin to explain how this book helps give a different perspective on how the mind and ego works, which is why I’m recommending it to you.

Toxic Parents - Susan Forward

If like me, you’re up on the topic of abusive parents then this is a must read. That said, even if you don’t think your parents were absuive, but you suffer with anxiety, low self worth and destructive habits then I still urge you to read this. It’s one of those books that you suddenly think to yourself “fuck that happened to me” or “I didn’t think of it like that”. Addiction, fear of failure, or if you’re drawn to toxic relationships then this is worth a read.

Lost Connections - Johan Hari

Johan manages to explain the real cause of depression in a much more elegant way than I. Far too often, people reach for a ‘quick fix’ and the commonly accepted one size fits all solution of medication. But, the reality is very different. In short, depression (chemically induced aside) is the result of a poor outlook on life, a bleak landscape and environment. A lack of progress in relationships, careers and lack of advancement, coupled with the expectations of supposed societal norms, are the real cause of depression for the majority of people. I believe this book to be the foundation of overcoming depression. Highly recommended.

Start with Why - Simon Sinek

Often, we find the reason we want something in life, be that a certain success, financial wealth, material object, is not for the reason we initially thought. Sometimes when we dig deeper, we find that the thing we thought we wanted actually isn’t what we wanted at all, but something entirely different. This book and the theory behind it can work for business, leadership and personal advancement. Understanding your “Why" will help you progress, not only faster but also reducing the mistakes we often make in the process, ultimately saving you time, money and energy.